Australia plans for life in a changing region

Australia, a recent participant in the G20 summit in London (and a modest 53rd in the world population league), has a tradition of punching above its weight.

Yet the ambition inherent in the country's new defence White Paper, released on 2 May, suggested to many that Canberra was in danger of overreaching itself. In particular, the document's maritime objectives sounded extremely bold: 12 new submarines to replace the navy's existing six, which it struggles to man; eight powerful 'future frigates' optimised for anti-submarine warfare; a land-attack cruise missile capability for its new Air Warfare Destroyers (AWDs); two landing helicopter docks complete with 24 naval combat helicopters; 20 offshore combatant vessels - all this to serve the strategic aim of being able both to "act independently" and to "lead military coalitions".

These ambitions were inspired, at least in part, by "the pace, scope and structure of China's military modernisation", the paper stated. Beijing responded sorely to this by warning Australia and others to view its "military build-up objectively, without bias", prompting fears that Canberra's thinking on China risked antagonising its biggest trading partner and, more than that, a country that would always eclipse it militarily.

However, the White Paper was as short on specific commitments as it was long on generic ambition, avoiding almost any mention of timeframes and programme budgets.

"It is an aspirational White Paper rather than an implementational one," said Andrew Davies, director of the operations and capability programme at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.